Strictly Business: Defusing Client Disagreements

MARCH JLC 1998
It was a Saturday morning, and I had
planned to spend the day getting
some overdue bids out. But when I
answered the phone, I heard the
strained voice of one of my clients saying,
"Please, come over. My husband
and I have been arguing about the
kitchen cabinets for two days."
These are words any contractor hates
to hear. In this case, the cabinets were
on order, the deposit had been paid, and
delivery was expected the next week. No
matter what happened, I knew it wouldn't
be a peak experience. It would probably
cost money or make for an
unhappy customer, or both. But I had to
handle the problem immediately,
because delays